If you’re like me, sure, at the beginning of the year, you took time out to outline the things you’ll love to achieve; how to make 2018 a more fulfilling year, how to be a better self, how to be on top of your competitors, how to save right – investsmart – make the right financial decisions, and lots more.

Goal setting is a very important aspect of life and entrepreneurship. But out of the good intentions of our goals, all the efforts we put in and all our strifes, only a tiny fraction of us reach the level of achievement! Why’s that?

Generally, goal setting is just like the new year resolution thing. At the beginning of a new year or at the close of the year, almost everyone becomes optimistic. We start stating “what, and what, and what” we want to do and achieve in the new year – the weight loss goals, the business ideas and plans, the attitude change, the financial decisions, and lots more. Meanwhile, only 8% of people achieve their new year resolution goals. (University Of Scranton)

On a bright note, reading this article means you’ve taken the very first and most important step towards achieving massive success this year. But to ensure that you achieve all, I mean all, your stated goals in 2018 you have to carefully analyze and be sure they’re the right goals.

Below therefore are five (5) key signs to look out for that points to the fact that your were working on the wrong goals all the way:

1. Your goal didn’t take you outta your comfort zone:

Safe goals are not promising – at all! They kind of appear realistic and not challenging, but the truth is they are just a waste of time!

“To the degree we are not living our dreams, our comfort zone has more control of us that we have over ourselves.” – Peter McWilliams.

The comfort zone, as defined by Lifehacker, is a “behavioral space where your activities and behaviors fit a routine and pattern that minimizes stress and risk.” In your comfort zone, you tend to enjoy deduced happiness and a low level or zero stress. Your comfort zone makes you reluctant to try new/difficult things, and you automatically become too less-anxious to be productive.

In the real sense of it, your goal should be a demanding ambition, a grim aspiration, that requires utmost efforts. Meanwhile, comfort kills productivity, because without the feeling of anxiety that comes from having deadlines or a major target, we just go ahead doing the minimum. Always remember that a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor. So, if your goals didn’t make you step out of your comfort zone, then that goal is not just right!

2. Your goal doesn’t connect you with the right network:

Goal setting is a progressive act. On the other hand, your goals must support your living and connect you with the right individuals.

Life has a lot to do with connection and the more you get connected to the right persons the quicker your achievements. Irrespective of your kind of goals, chances are you’ll need someone else to accomplish them.

Having the right connections — business wise and life in general, automatically gives you a strong edge against life’s turmoil.

If your goals does not connect you with the right persons that would aid your success then it’s not worth keeping such goals. Discard them asap!

3. Your goal seems like an unpleasant mission to you:

“If your goals does not inspire you at least as much as going on vacation, then they are lousy goals.” – Steve Pavlina.

We set goals to motivate us to achieve success. We set goals to serve as our drive.

Once your goal begins to feel like an unpleasant mission to you, then you’ve lost the drive. Once you lose the drive, you lose the achievement. So, if your goals seems like an unpleasant task to you, hey! You’re on the wrong.

4. Your goal is based on others perspective:

Instead of setting your goals based on your sincere passion, if your goal is set following people’s perspective, then you, sure, set the wrong goals!

The weight loss goals, the financial goals, the career goals, if you set them because of your friends/mates, sorry to disappoint you but you were working on the wrong goal all this time.

5. Your goal doesn’t serve a “strike plan”

Goal setting is not just about saying what you want to do or what you don’t want to do. It must include an effective strike plan for achievement. A goal without a strike plan is like a team of players full of defenders, without a striker to aim at the opponent’s post – they’ll certainly go home nil.

“Give a man a bow and arrow and tell him to “shoot” his first response would be, “at what?” When you don’t have a strike plan, your goal is baseless. And a baseless goal is a non-achievable goal!

Below therefore are four (4) ways to set right goals – in the right way in 2018.

1. Make a broad list:

Make a broad list of everything you’ll want to do or work towards. Whatever it is – as long as you’re interested in it, put it in your list.

The process of writing a list of your goals makes it easy to filter what you don’t want. As you write, you tend to realize things that are non-realistic as well as goals that merge.

Just saying your goals makes it vague, meanwhile, vague objectives are basically not achievable! State your goals and make sure you’re able to express them in writing.

2. Set goals that “turns you on”

When setting your goals for 2018, it is important to set goals that turns you on – goals that stimulates you – goals that at the thought of them you’ll swing into action. This directly means setting salient goals.

Irrespective of your kind of goals, achievement/success requires ultimate commitment. Meanwhile, it’s hard to commit yourself to something that’s not important to you.

Most successful persons like J.K Rowling, Oprah Winfrey, Nicholas Dutko of Auto Transport Quote Services, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, amongst others, often cite that Setting stimulating goals helps crush doubt. It also reduces the level of uncertainty and boost self-confidence – it keeps you up and going, and makes you achieve success in due time.

Therefore make sure your goals are most convincing and motivating in 2018.

3. Make your goals SMART:

In case you are not familiar with the SMART goals acronym, it is an abbreviation that basically describes that goals are specific, measurable, agreed upon/attainable, realistic, and timely. Study shows that only 3 percent of adults have smart goals, and they tend to achieve ten times as much as people without/with vague goals.

While setting your goals for year 2018, get it designed to be SMART. Smart goals doesn’t only help in achieving your widest goals, it also helps in breaking some productivity-killer habits, like procrastination – since it’s(T) time bound.

4. Plan your first step – “the strike plan”

“The journey of a thousand miles indeed begins with one step.”

Generally, when setting goals we tend to focus more on the outcome, forgetting that goals without a strike plan is a failure from the onset. It is therefore important to ponder on how you’ll like to have your goals achieved and create a strike plan.

Goal setting is way more than simply stating you want to achieve something or you want something to happen. If you want to begin to achieve your goals without forestalls, you should include an actionable strike plan while setting those goals.

By Line:

Life is short, and is becoming shorter at the tick of the clock – it doesn’t wait for anyone. There will never be a perfect time to pursue your dreams and goals. Set right – plan competently – believe fervently – act vigorously. You’ll get there.

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